1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices used in the assay of a liquid sample. The device of this invention is suitable for use as a clinical diagnostic device in the measurement of the component of blood and urine and other substances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known conventional devices used to assay of liquid sample are (1) assay devices for which filter paper is cut to a specified size, and is made to absorb the reagent that is to react with the sample, then the filter paper is attached to a support, and (2) assay devices for which gelatin containing the reagent is formed into a specified shape, then attached to a support. After preparing the assay device, the liquid samples are required to drop on the filter paper or the gelatin for assay.
The above-noted assay devices, however, require that the manufacturing process include the cutting and attaching of filter paper or gelatin. This does not allow refinement of the assay elements that hold the reagent, which, in turn, does not allow the miniaturization of the assay device as a whole, compared with its current form. Moreover, to enable the assay of a multiplicity of items using a single assay device, the above-noted conventional assay devices require the cutting and attaching of a multiplicity of filter paper or gelatins, thereby increasing the number of steps in the manufacturing process and increasing the manufacturing costs.